Testing TSV with current/voltage source, resistor, comparator, and scan cell

ABSTRACT

This disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for testing TSVs within a semiconductor device. According to embodiments illustrated and described in the disclosure, a TSV may be tested by stimulating and measuring a response from a first end of a TSV while the second end of the TSV held at ground potential. Multiple TSVs within the semiconductor device may be tested in parallel to reduce the TSV testing time according to the disclosure.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of prior application Ser. No.13/785,284, filed Mar. 5, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,383,403, issued Jul.16, 2016;

Which claims priority from Provisional Application No. 61/670,793, filedJul. 12, 2012;

And also claims priority from Provisional Application No. 61/613,235,filed Mar. 20, 2012.

References made to U.S. Publication 2011/0102006 by Hynix Semiconductor.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to testing of anintegrated circuit semiconductor device and in particular to the testingof through silicon vias (TSVs) within the semiconductor device.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

TSVs are signaling paths formed between a contact point on a firstsurface of the device and a contact point on a second surface of thedevice. Typically, but not always, the TSV signaling path will includeor be coupled to circuitry within the device. TSVs are invaluable in thedevelopment and production of 3D stack die assemblies where signals passvertically up and down the die in the stack. There can be thousands ofTSVs in a die providing a large number of up and down signaling pathways in a 3D stack die assembly. TSVs may be used to passuni-directional signals or bi-directional signals. Each of thesethousands of TSV path ways must be tested to ensure the TSVs are capableof transferring signals at required electrical specifications. Thisdisclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for testing signalTSVs in a die using a test circuit means for stimulating and analyzingone end of the TSV while the other end of the TSV is held at a knownvoltage potential, which, in this disclosure, is shown to be a groundvoltage potential.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various aspects of the disclosure include a TSV test circuit means and amethod for testing a TSV within a device using the test circuit means todetermine if the TSV meets the signaling requirements of the device.

In a first aspect of the disclosure, the TSV test circuit means includesa current source means to apply a known current to a first end of theTSV while the second end of the TSV is held at a ground potential, acomparator circuit means for detecting the voltage level developed atthe first end of the TSV in response to the applied current, a scan cellmeans for loading and shifting out a logic level indicative of thevoltage level detected by the comparator circuit means and forcontrolling the current source means to one of an on and off state.

In a second aspect of the disclosure, the TSV test circuit meansincludes a voltage source means to apply a known voltage to a first endof the TSV while the second end of the TSV is held at a groundpotential, a comparator circuit means for detecting the voltage leveldeveloped at the first end of the TSV in response to the appliedvoltage, a scan cell means for loading and shifting out a logic levelindicative of the voltage level detected by the comparator circuit meansand for controlling the voltage source means to one of an on and offstate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DISCLOSURE

FIG. 1 illustrates a die with a test stimulus and response meansconnected to a first end of a TSV within the die according to thedisclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a more detailed example of the stimulus and responsemeans of FIG. 1 based on a current source for providing the stimulus tothe first end of the TSV according to the disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a more detailed example of the stimulus and responsemeans of FIG. 1 based on a voltage source for providing the stimulus tothe first end of the TSV according to the disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a die including multiple test stimulus and responsemeans, each coupled a first end of a TSV in the die according to thedisclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first stimulus and response means being enabled tostimulate a first end of its associated TSV, while other stimulus andresponse means are disable from stimulating the first end of theirassociated TSV according to the disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a second stimulus and response means being enabled tostimulate a first end of its associated TSV, while other stimulus andresponse means are disable from stimulating the first end of theirassociated TSV according to the disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further stimulus and response means being enabledto stimulate a first end of its associated TSV, while other stimulus andresponse means are disable from stimulating the first end of theirassociated TSV according to the disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates a die including multiple test stimulus and responsemeans and an IEEE 1149.1 TAP for accessing them, each stimulus andresponse means being coupled a first end of a TSV in the die accordingto the disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a die with a power TSV, test interface TSV, multiplefunctional signal TSVs and a ground TSV coupled to a tester via probeneedles according to the disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a die with a power TSV, test interface TSV, multiplefunctional signal TSVs and a ground TSV coupled to a tester via probeneedles and a grounding means according to the disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates contact points on a surface of a die for power, testinterface, functional and ground contact points according to thedisclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates a grounding means for making contact to all thefunctional signal contact points on the surface of the die of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 illustrates the placement of contact of the ground means of FIG.12 to the surface of the die of FIG. 11 according to the disclosure.

FIG. 14 illustrates a wafer with die, each die having power, testinterface, functional and ground contact points according to thedisclosure.

FIG. 15 illustrates a grounding means for making contact to all thefunctional signal contact points of each die of FIG. 13 according to thedisclosure.

FIG. 16 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the stimulus and responsemeans of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

FIG. 1 illustrates a die 100 containing an example embodiment of thedisclosure. A test circuit 102, referred to a Test Stimulus & ResponseMeans, is provided for stimulating a first end 104 of a Signal TSV(SIGTSV) 106 with a Stimulus and Response (S&R) signal while a secondexternally accessible end 108 of the TSV is held at ground potential byan external grounding means 110. The S&R signal is controlled andobserved by scan circuitry within the test circuit. Communication withthe scan circuitry is accomplished with a scan input (SI), scan output(SO) and control inputs (CI). A variable reference (VR) signal is alsoinput to the test circuitry for allowing variable thresholds to be usedin digitizing the response component on the S&R signal.

FIG. 2 illustrates a first example implementation of the test circuit102 of FIG. 1 which uses a known current source 202 to provide thestimulus component of the S&R signal to a SIGTSV 106. A resistor (R) 206is placed in the S&R signal path from the current source 202 to the TSV.A capture shift (CS) FF 210 and an update (U) FF 212, form the scancircuitry within the test circuit 102. The CS FF 210 operates, inresponse to the CI inputs, to capture and shift out the digitized outputof a comparator (C) 208. The data shifted into the CS register isupdated to the U FF 212 at the end of each capture and shift scanoperation in response to the CI inputs. Thus the U FF only updates itsstate at the end of each scan operation. The control (CTL) output of theU FF controls the current source to be in one of an “on” or “off” state.When CTL is “on”, the current source supplies a current to the TSV 106on the S&R signal path. When CTL is “off”, the current source does notsupply a current to the TSV 106 on the S&R signal path. When “on”, thecurrent source drives a current through R 206, TSV 106 and to thegrounding means 110. The voltage drop (VD2) developed across TSV 106 isinput to a “high impedance” input of comparator 208 to be digitized,against the VR input to the comparator. The VR input is referenced toground and is set to digitize against a voltage expected to be developedacross a “good” TSV in response to the known current passing through theTSV from current source 202. The digitized output of the comparator 208is captured and shifted out of the IC 100 via scan cell 204 to beevaluated by a tester to determine whether the TSV test passed orfailed. If the test fails or if it is desired to do more exactingresistance testing of the TSV, further VR settings and capture and shiftscan operations may be performed to obtain multiple digitization's ofthe voltage drop across the TSV to actually obtain a measurement theresistance of the TSV.

FIG. 3 illustrates a second example implementation of the test circuit102 of FIG. 1 which uses a known voltage source 302 to provide thestimulus component of the S&R signal to a SIGTSV 106. A known resistor(R) 306 is placed in the S&R signal path from the voltage source 302 tothe TSV. A capture shift (CS) FF 210 and an update (U) FF 212, form thescan circuitry within the test circuit 102. The CS FF 210 operates, inresponse to the CI inputs, to capture and shift out the digitized outputof comparator (C) 208. The data shifted into the CS register is updatedto the U FF 212 at the end of each capture and shift scan operation inresponse to the CI inputs. Thus the U FF only updates its state at theend of each scan operation. The control (CTL) output of the U FFcontrols the voltage source to be in one of an “on” or “off” state. WhenCTL is “on”, the voltage source applies a voltage to the TSV 106 on theS&R signal path. When CTL is “off”, the voltage source does not apply avoltage to the TSV 106 on the S&R signal path. When “on”, the appliedvoltage is dropped across R 304 and TSV 06, with respect to ground. Thevoltage drop (VD2) across TSV 106 is input to a “high impedance” inputof comparator 208 to be digitized, against the VR input to thecomparator. The VR input is referenced to ground and is set to digitizeagainst a voltage expected to be dropped across a “good” TSV in responseto the known applied voltage and the known resistance of R 304. Thedigitized output of the comparator 208 is captured and shifted out ofthe IC 100 via scan cell 204 to be evaluated by a tester to determinewhether the TSV test passed or failed. If the test fails or if it isdesired to do more exacting resistance testing of the TSV, further VRsettings and capture and shift scan operations may be performed toobtain multiple digitization's of the voltage drop across the TSV toactually obtain a measurement the resistance of the TSV.

FIG. 4 illustrates a die 400 containing N TSVs 106 to be tested. EachTSV 106 is connected at its first end 104 to an S&R signal path of anassociated test circuit 102. The test circuits 102 are seriallyconnected via their SI and SO terminals to form a serial test circuitpath from a SI input of the die to a SO output of the die. The CI inputterminals of the test circuits are connected together and to CI inputsof the die. The VR input terminals of the test circuits are connectedtogether and to a VR input of the die. The SI input, SO output, CIinputs and VR input of the die are connected to a tester. The externallyaccessible second ends 108 of the TSVs 106 are connected to groundingmeans 110. During the test, the tester will set the VR input to adesired digitizing threshold, scan the test circuits 102 from SI to SOto set the CTL output of the scan cell 204 of each test circuit 102 tothe “on” state, as described in FIGS. 2 and 3. When CTL is set to the“on” state, the S&R signal path of each test circuit is enabled tostimulate the first end 104 of the TSVS 106 with a current, as describedin FIG. 2 or a voltage as described in FIG. 3. The tester then performsa capture and shift scan operation to capture the digitized responsefrom the comparators 208 of test circuits 102 and shift the captureddigitized response out to the tester to determine whether the responsefrom each TSV passes or fails the test. If all TSV resistances aredesigned to be relatively close in value, all N TSVs may be tested usingonly one VR setting from the tester and one capture and shift scanoperation from the tester. However, if the TSVs are not designed to beclose in resistance values, the process of setting a VR threshold andperforming a capture and shift scan operation may have to be repeatedmultiple times to test different groups of TSVs that have been designedwith different resistance values.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate how the test circuits 102 may be used to test forfaults (shorts) between the SIGTSVs 106 in die 400 of FIG. 4. In FIG. 5,the first test circuit 102 is set (CTL=“on”) by a scan operation tostimulates its TSV 106, while the other test circuits are not set(CTL=“off”) to stimulate their TSVs 106.

If there is not a short fault between the TSV being stimulated and theother TSVs that are not being stimulated, the other TSVs will be held atground potential by their grounding means. With no shorted TSVs, acapture and shift scan operation with the VR set to some digitizingthreshold above ground potential will result in a response test patternbeing shifted out of the test circuits 102 with logic zeros from thenon-stimulated TSVs and a logic one from the stimulated TSV.

If there is a fault between the TSV being stimulated and one or more ofthe other TSVs, the one or more other TSVs will not be at groundpotential, but rather some voltage above ground potential, due to theshort. With one or more shorted TSVs, a capture and shift scan operationwith the VR set to some digitizing threshold above ground potential willresult in a response test pattern being shifted out of the test circuits102 with logic zeros from the non-stimulated and non-shorted TSVs andlogic ones from the stimulated TSV and the one or more TSVs it isshorted too.

In FIG. 6, the second TSV is stimulated by its test circuit while theother TSVs are not being stimulated by their test circuit. As describedin FIG. 5, if there are no shorts between the stimulated TSV andnon-stimulated TSVs, the response captured and shifted out of the testcircuits will be a logic one for the stimulated TSV and logic zeros forthe non-stimulated TSVs. If there is a short between the stimulated TSVand one or more other TSVs, the response captured and shifted out of thetest circuits will be a logic one for the stimulated and one or moreother TSVs it is shorted to and logic zeros for the non-stimulated andnon-shorted TSVs.

In FIG. 7, the Nth TSV is stimulated by its test circuit while the otherTSVs are not being stimulated by their test circuit. As described inFIG. 5, if there are no shorts between the stimulated TSV andnon-stimulated TSVs, the response captured and shifted out of the testcircuits will be a logic one for the stimulated TSV and logic zeros forthe non-stimulated TSVs. If there is a short between the stimulated TSVand one or more other TSVs, the response captured and shifted out of thetest circuits will be a logic one for the stimulated and one or moreother TSVs it is shorted to and logic zeros for the non-stimulated andnon-shorted TSVs

FIG. 8 illustrates a die 800 that is very similar to die 400 of FIG. 4.The difference between the two die is that die 800 contains the wellknown IEEE 1149.1 Test Access Port (TAP) having external TDI, TCK andTMS inputs and an external TDO output. These signals are connected to atester during test operations. The TAP provides an internal scan output(SO) that is connected to the internal SI input of the test circuit scanpath, internal control outputs (CO) that are connected to the internalCI inputs of the test circuit scan path and an internal scan input (SI)input that is connected to the SO output of the test circuit scan path.In response to the external TDI, TCK, TMS and TDO signals connected tothe tester, the TAP controls and operates the test circuits aspreviously described in the TSV test operations described in FIGS. 4-7.As with FIG. 4, the VR signal remains an external input to die 800 soits threshold level can be controlled from the tester during testoperations.

The SO, CO and SI test circuit scan path interface 804 of the TAP isenabled by an instruction scanned into the TAP's instruction registerduring a TAP instruction scan operation. Once interface 804 is enabled,a TAP data register scan operation is performed to shift data from TDIto SO of interface 804, through the test circuit scan path from SI to SOand from SI of interface 804 to TDO. During the data scan operations theTAP provides the CI signals to operate the test circuits 102 to performcapture, shift and update operations via the CO of interface 804. Sincemost die already include the TAP for boundary scan testing and othertest and debug operations, it is a very simple process to augment theTAP to include a test circuit scan path access instruction and add theSI, CO, and SO interface 804 to the TAP.

FIG. 9 illustrates a die 900 containing signal TSVs 106, a power TSV906, a ground TSV 908, test interface TSVs 916 and TSV test circuitry910 including a test circuit 102 for each signal TSV 106. Contact points912 are provided on the die to allow probe needles or other probingmeans 914 from a probe fixture 904 to contact the power TSV 906, signalTSVs 106, test interface TSVs 916 and ground TSV 908. The probe fixtureis coupled to a tester 902 to provide power to the power TSV 906,grounding means for the signal TSVs 106, test interface signals 918 forthe test TSVs 916 and ground for the ground TSV 908. The test interfacesignals 918 include the scan interface and VR signals to the testcircuits 102 of TSV test circuitry 910. The scan interface signals 918may either be the SI, CI and SO signals of FIG. 4 or the TAP's TDI, TCK,TMS and TDO signals of FIG. 8. While only one test interface TSV 916 isshown, there will be one test interface TSV 916 for each test interfacesignal 918. During test, the tester energizes TSV test circuitry 910 andaccesses the test circuits 102 via test interface signals 918 tostimulate and measure the response from the first end 104 of the signalTSVs 106 while the second end 108 of the signal TSVs are held at groundpotential.

FIG. 10 illustrates the die 900, probe fixture 904 and tester 902 ofFIG. 9. In this example, probe needles provide power and ground toenergize the test circuitry 910 and to provide the test interfacesignals 918 to the test circuitry 910 as described in FIG. 9. However,the grounding means to the contact points 912 of the signal TSVs 106 isprovided by a metal plate or other conductive material 1002 coupled toand placed at ground potential by tester 902. This method of providing agrounding means may be necessary when the pitch of the external contactpoints 912 of the signal TSVs 102 is too small to be probed byindividual probe needles 914.

FIG. 11 illustrates a surface of a die 1100 with a power TSV contactpoint 1102, a ground TSV contact point 1104, scan interface and VRcontact points 1106 and many signal TSV contact points 1108. The power,ground, scan interface and VR contact points are designed large and withenough pitch to be easily probed by probe needles. The signal TSVcontact points are designed small and with small pitch so that manyfunctional signals may be connected to the die surface. The signal TSVcontact points cannot be probed by conventional probe needles.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example grounding means 1002 as described in FIG.10. The artwork of the grounding means 1002 is designed for the layoutof the surface contact points of die 1100. The grounding means 1002 hasan opening 1202 to allow probe access by the tester 902 to the power TSVcontact point 1102, an opening 1204 to allow probe access by the tester902 of the ground TSV contact point 1104, an opening 1206 to allow probeaccess by the tester 902 of the scan interface and VR contact points1106. Other than the openings, the grounding means provides a conductivesurface for making contact to all the signal TSV contact points 1108 ofDie 1100, so that, under tester control, all the signal TSV contactpoints 1108 may be placed at a ground potential for testing, accordingto the disclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates the grounding means 1002 of FIG. 12 making contactto the signal TSV contact points 1108 on the surface of die 1100. Whencontact is made between the die and grounding means, the tester can takeall signal TSV contact points 1108 to ground potential, apply power topower TSV contact point 1102 via a probe needle 914 passing throughopening 1202 (indicated by an X), apply ground to ground TSV contactpoint 1104 via a probe needle 914 passing through opening 1204 andaccess the scan interface and VR contact points 1106 to test circuitry910 via probe needles 914 passing through opening 1206.

FIG. 14 illustrates a circular wafer 1400 of die 1100 of FIG. 11. Eachdie 1100 has a power contact point 1102, test interface contact points1106, ground contact point 1104 and, while not shown, signal TSV contactpoints 1108.

FIG. 15 illustrates a circular grounding means 1500 of conductivematerial with a diameter matching that of the circular wafer. The artwork of the grounding means 1500 has been designed with an opening 1202for providing probe access from a tester 902 to power contact point 1102of each die 1100, an opening 1204 for providing probe access from thetester to ground contact point 1104 of each die 1100 and an opening 1206for providing probe access from the tester to test interface 1106 ofeach die 1100. The body of the grounding means 1500 provides electricalcontact to all signal TSV contact points 1108 of each die 1100.

When alignment and contact is made between the wafer 1400 and groundingmeans 1500, the tester can take all signal TSV contact points 1108 ofeach die 1100 to ground potential, apply power to power TSV contactpoint 1102 of each or a selected group of die 1100 via a probe needle914 passing through openings 1202, apply ground to ground TSV contactpoint 1104 of each or a selected group of die 1100 via a probe needle914 passing through openings 1204 and access the test interface contactpoints 1106 of each or a selected group of die 1100 via probe needles914 passing through openings 1206.

It should be understood that while the examples of FIGS. 11-15 show aparticular power, ground, test interface and signal contact point layouton the surface of die 1100 and a grounding means 1002 or 1500 art workdesigned to accommodate that particular contact point layout, thedisclosure is not limited in any way to only this example contact pointlayout and grounding means artwork. Indeed, the disclosure broadlycovers any kind of die surface contact point layout and accompanyinggrounding means artwork required for providing a grounding means contactfor signal TSVs while allowing openings for making probe contact topower, ground and test interface contacts points of the die. In additionto the openings required for probing power, ground and test interfacecontact points, the ground means 1002 or 1500 may have additionalopenings as well for accessing other contact points on the die or forother purposes. As mentioned in regard to FIG. 10, grounding means 1002or 1500 can be made any type of conductive material, such as but notlimited to copper material and conductive elastomer material.

FIG. 16 illustrates a die 1600 that includes an alternate embodiment oftest circuit 102 of FIG. 2. The test circuit 102 of FIG. 16 is identicalin structure and operation as test circuit 102 of FIG. 2, with theexception that resistor 206 has been removed from the S&R path betweenthe current source 202 and the first end 104 of the TSV 106. When thecurrent source is enabled by the CTL output of scan cell 204 it providesthe stimulus current directly to the first end 104 of the TSV 106. Thevoltage drop (VD) developed across TSV is digitized by comparator 208and capture and shift out of the scan cell 204, as described in FIG. 2.The alternate test cell 102 of FIG. 14 may be substituted for test cell102 of FIG. 2 in all embodiments illustrated in this disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A test cell for providing test stimulus andreceiving test response on a single signal path coupled to a throughsilicon via comprising: (a) a stimulus current source having an outputcoupled to the single signal path and having a control input forcontrolling supplying stimulus current to the single signal path and notsupplying stimulus current to the single signal path; (b) a resistor inthe single signal path having a first terminal connected to the outputof the stimulus current source and a second terminal; (c) a comparatorhaving a first input connected to the second terminal of the resistorfor receiving test response from the single signal path, a second inputfor receiving a voltage reference and an output; (d) a scan cell havinga scan input, a capture input coupled to the comparator output, acontrol output coupled to the control input of the stimulus currentsource, and a scan output; and (e) the through silicon via having afirst end connected to the second terminal of the resistor and the firstinput of the comparator, and having a second end connected to a circuitground.
 2. A test cell for providing test stimulus and receiving testresponse on a single signal path coupled to a through silicon viacomprising: (a) a stimulus voltage source having an output coupled tothe single signal path and having a control input for controllingsupplying stimulus current to the single signal path and not supplyingstimulus current to the single signal path; (b) a resistor in the singlesignal path having a first terminal connected to the output of thestimulus current source and a second terminal; (c) a comparator having afirst input connected to the second terminal of the resistor forreceiving test response from the single signal path, a second input forreceiving a voltage reference and an output; (d) a scan cell having ascan input, a capture input coupled to the comparator output, a controloutput coupled to the control input of the stimulus current source, anda scan output; and (e) the through silicon via having a first endconnected to the second terminal of the resistor and the first input ofthe comparator, and having a second end connected to a circuit ground.